With reference to FIG. 2, a communications network infrastructure is illustrated, wherein multiple subscriber units (SU) SU1 through SUn communicate over circuit switched connections, for example, to a mobile switching center (MSC) 230 via a “wireless local loop” radio frequency interface provided by a base station (BS) 235. Ultimately, the subscriber units, or remote devices attached thereto, may communicate end to end with a host device, such as an application service provider (ASP) 205. Information, for example, in the form of packets of data, are transmitted between an SU and the MSC over radio frequency (RF) channels allocated to the SU by the BS 235 for the duration of the packet transmissions. Data packets received at the MSC by way of BS 235 are forwarded to the data packets over a packet switched network to the ASP.
The packet switch network comprises, for example, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 225, a gateway 220, such as Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) gateway, that couples the PSTN to an internet 215, such as the Internet or an intranet. The ASP 205, in turn, is coupled to the internet 215 via a network switching device 210. A connection between devices in a packet switched network environment is set up, that is, allocated, just prior to transmitting a stream of data packets, and then torn down immediately after the packets are transmitted. Later, if additional information is to be exchanged between the ASP and a subscriber unit, another connection is set up and later torn down at the appropriate times to handle the transmission of subsequent data packets between the ASP and the subscriber unit.
However, a connection in a circuit switched network, for example, between BS 235 and a subscriber unit, typically requires setting up a dedicated communications channel between the SU and the BS. The channel remains allocated even when no packets are being transmitted between the BS and the SU, and is torn down only when requested to do so by either the BS or the SU. There may be significant periods of time during which the allocated channel is idle.
The set up and tear down of a communications channel in a circuit switched network typically consumes more time and overhead than in a packet switched network, and the channel may be underutilized, for example, by remaining idle for extended periods of time. Additionally, there may be many more subscriber units, each capable of establishing multiple simultaneous communications channels with the BS, than there are communications channels capable of being simultaneously allocated.
Additionally, there is the well known concept of quality of service, or grade of service, in a packet switched network environment, in which factors such as minimum latency and bandwidth are considered. When communicating packet switched data from a subscriber unit over a circuit switched network, and then to a destination device, such as ASP 205, coupled to the packet switched network, a resource allocation scheme is needed in the circuit switched network to meet or exceed the minimum quality of service for data transmissions in the packet switched network.
It is understood that well known wireless communication protocols, such as CDPD, GPRS and EDGE, employ resource allocation schemes to efficiently allocate RF channels. However, such protocols are thought to rely solely on the amount of data queued for transmission by a particular subscriber unit relative to other subscriber units. What is needed is an allocation scheme that considers other equally or more pertinent factors.